delincuente

Forms

delincuente m or f (masculine and feminine plural delincuentes)^[1] The earliest texts keep the Latin ⟨qu⟩, delinquente;^[1] Corominas has delinquiente in 1449 and delincuente in 1485.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin delinquens (“failing, doing wrong”), the present participle of dēlinquō (“to fail, be lacking; to commit an offence”).^[1][4][5] Corominas takes it from the Latin participle of the verb that gave delinquir (1423).^[6][3] The DLE analyses it as from Spanish delinquir + -nte, with the Latin participle beside it, and the DRAE of 2001 as the old present participle of that verb.^[7][8]

The Latin verb is made of dē- and linquō (“to leave”).^[9][1] De Vaan derives the simple verb from a nasal present Proto-Indo-European *li-n-kʷ- (“to leave”), the source also of Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “to leave”).^[10] The noun delito comes from the participle dēlictum of the same verb.^[6]

The same Latin participle gave Italian delinquente and French délinquant.^[11][12]

Earliest recorded meaning

The CDH's earliest hit is an ordinance given to Zaragoza by King John I in 1391, on los officiales delinquentes en sus officios, “the officials who offend in their offices”.^[2] This is earlier than the 1449 of the DCECH and the BDELC, and the 1429 of DICCA-XV.^[3][6][13] In a Zaragoza ordinance of 1414 it is already a noun, beside bregueantes “brawlers”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The word was at first used of anyone who failed in a duty, and soon mainly as a noun for an offender: Cervantes writes both delincuente and delinquente in the Quijote.^[14] The Academy's dictionaries from 1817 to 1899 define it as the active participle of delinquir, “who offends”.^[15][16] Domínguez in 1846 already gives the noun “culprit, perpetrator of a crime”, and Alemany in 1917 notes that it is also used as a noun.^[17][18] Today it is an adjective used mostly as a noun.^[7]

In the Americas it is recorded from 1531 in Mexico City, in the phrase semejantes delincuentes.^[19] In Puerto Rico it is also said of an account in arrears.^[20]

Timeline

• 1391 – a royal ordinance for Zaragoza speaks of officiales delinquentes.^[2]
• 1423 – first record of the verb delinquir.^[6][3]
• 1449 – the form delinquiente, the DCECH's first record.^[3]
• 1485 – delincuente in Pulgar.^[3]
• 1531 – first record in the Americas, in Mexico City.^[19]
• 1817 – the Academy's dictionary defines it as the participle of delinquir.^[15]
• 1884 – the Academy first gives the etymology, from Latin delinquens.^[21]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That commits a crime or offence; delinquent.^[7][1]
2. (Puerto Rico) Of an account, in arrears.^[20]

Noun

1. A criminal, offender: La policía detuvo a dos delincuentes en el mercado.^[7][1][5]

Related words

• delinquir
• delito
• delincuencia
• deliquio
• Latin delinquo

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE, p. s.v. delincuente
3. ^ a b c d e f Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 2, 440
4. ^ Gómez de Silva, Guido (1988), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua española, México: Fondo de Cultura Económica / El Colegio de México, p. s.v. delincuente
5. ^ a b Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. delincuente
6. ^ a b c d Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. delito
7. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. delincuente
8. ^ Real Academia Española (2001), Diccionario de la lengua española, 22nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, p. s.v. delincuente
9. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
11. ^ Barcia, Roque (1880–1883), Primer diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Tipográfico de Álvarez Hermanos, p. 53
12. ^ Echegaray, Eduardo de (1887–1889), Diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: José María Faquineto, p. 650
13. ^ Lleal, Coloma (dir.), DICCA-XV: Diccionario del castellano del siglo XV en la Corona de Aragón, Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona, Grup d'Estudis d'Història de la Llengua (GHCL), https://ghcl.ub.edu/diccaxv, p. s.v. delincuente
14. ^ Cejador y Frauca, Julio (1905–1906), La lengua de Cervantes: gramática y diccionario de la lengua castellana en El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, 2 vols., Madrid: Jaime Ratés, p. 377
15. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1817), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 5th ed., Madrid: Imprenta Real, p. 284
16. ^ Real Academia Española (1899), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 13th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de los Sres. Hernando y Compañía, p. 320
17. ^ Domínguez, Ramón Joaquín (1846–1847), Diccionario nacional o gran diccionario clásico de la lengua española, 2 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Léxico-Tipográfico de R. J. Domínguez, p. 550
18. ^ Alemany y Bolufer, José (1917), Diccionario de la lengua española, Barcelona: Ramón Sopena, p. 537
19. ^ a b Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. delicuente
20. ^ a b Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española; Universidad de Puerto Rico, Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico, https://tesoro.pr, p. s.v. delincuente
21. ^ Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 345